Friday, July 31, 2020
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Hikaru Shida vs Diamante
Here's the match video of Hikaru Shida vs Diamante from this week's episode of AEW Dynamite. This was a non title match. Diamante beat Ivelisse last week to get this match. Her real name is Priscilla Zuniga. She is probably nest known for her days in Impact Wrestling's LAX group. And then she blew out her knee. I had seen her before but not lately until last week. The match is OK but nothing special. Diamante's big problem is she lacks quickness her moves are sluggish at times. I don't know why she won that match last week as Ivelisse is a better wrestler. I don't know if she is signed to AEW. So the match is OK. Check out the video.
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes
Song:Up Where We Belong
Album:The Anthology
Up Where We Belong topped the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks in 1983. It is from the 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman. It is what I call an orphan because it is not on the standard discography of either Joe Cocker or Jennifer Warnes. Paramount Pictures exec Frank Mancuso wanted a soundtrack album with a hit single to promote the film. Director Taylor Hackford liked the idea but he didn't have the budget to produce an original song. He asked Paramount music head Joel Sill for help. Sill called his friend Gary George who had recently become a manager and he suggested one of his clients Jennifer Warnes. She scored a top ten hit in 1976 with Right Time of the Night. She saw Joe Cocker perform I'm So Glad I'm Standing Here with The Crusaders on the 1982 Grammy awards. It inspired her to want to sing with Cocker. And that is what she suggested to Hackford. At the time Cocker was under contract to Island Records. Island owner Chris Blackwell agreed to this as long as the soundtrack album was released on Island. The score for An Officer and a Gentleman was composed by Jack Nitzsche and Buffy Sainte-Marie. Sill called veteran songwriter Will Jennings (After the Love Has Gone) and he took the music from the film and wrote lyrics for it. They convinced Crusaders producer Stewart Levine to produce the record. Paramount's Michael Eisner and film producer Don Simpson hated the record and didn't think it would be a hit. And Blackwell hated it so much that Cocker left Island for Capitol. Up Where We Belong wasn't a hit at first. But the success of An Officer and a Gentleman created interest in the soundtrack album and the single topped the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks. Radio stations got listener calls to play the song and it grew from there. The soundtrack is available on CD. The song did not appear on a Joe Cocker or Jennifer Warnes album. But you can get it on this Joe Cocker 2CD budget comp that covers his A&M years. You can also get it on the Jennifer Warnes comp The Platinum & Gold Collection. Of course Jennifer scored another big movie hit with Time of my Life with Bill Medley from the 1987 film Dirty Dancing. Those two songs were her only number one hits. Cocker was on Capitol for most of the 80s. He didn't have the success that he had earlier in his career on A&M. Capitol A&R VP Don Grierson said that Up Where We Belong may have hurt Cocker because it was a weepy ballad and he's a rocker. I dunno. You Are So Beautiful was a big hit. Up Where We Belong was also a big gospel hit for BeBe & CeCe Winans. Jim Baaker had them sing it daily on The PTL Club but that song made them stars. Here's Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes performing Up Where We Belong on German TV 1983. There was no music video for this song.
Thursday, July 30, 2020
Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast July 30, 2020
UFC review and preview, Asuka, Io Shirai and Invicta preview.
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Io Shirai and Tegan Nox vs Dakota Kai and Candice Lerae
Here's the match video of Io Shirai and Tegan Nox vs Dakota Kai and Candice Lerae from last night's episode of NXT. This was set up when Dakota attacked Io after her match a couple of weeks ago. One interesting thing is Raquel Gonzalez is not Dakota's partner and though nothing was said, they seem to have split up. This match starts with Dakota attacking Io during her entrance. This turns into a brawl. The match is pretty good and Io and Tegan display great teamwork especially at the end of the match. Io's moonsault leads to the pin on Candice after Tegan's Shiniest Wizard. Dakota bails and abandons Candice. Later in a backstage segment, Dakota claims to be the number one contender for Io's NXT Women's Championship. Rhea Ripley with her new blonde hairdo disputes that so Dakota vs Rhea will happen next week and the winner gets a title shot at the upcoming Takeover show. Check out the video for this match as it is pretty good.
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Angelina
Song:Release Me
Album:Angelina: The Album
Angelina Camarillo had very brief chart success in the late 90s mostly on the dance charts but Release Me crossed over to pop in 1996. She was born Feb. 1, 1978 in Union City, CA. And I guess that's the most interesting thing about Angelina. Most of the Freestyle music of the era was based in either New York or Miami. I haven't noticed any Freestyle artists from California. Angelina's label Upstairs Records is in San Jose and they had most of their success with Freestyle. Angelina: The Album was released in 1996. Most of the album was produced by Noel Saucedo. He is mainly a remix guy known as Haus-A-Holics. Release Me was the first single. It did well on the dance charts and it reached #52 on the Billboard Hot 100. A few of her other songs charted but Release Me was her biggest hit. Typically Angelina wrote the lyrics and Saucedo wrote the music. Angelina: The Album is still available on CD or digital download. She released three albums on Upstairs. She formed the group New Ridaz and they released an album in 2006. It all ended when Angelina's brother was killed in a random shooting outside a San Jose nightclub two days before Christmas 2006. She told the San Jose Mercury News that she simply lost her passion for music. She went into teaching. She did that for seven years and she now owns Luna Mexican Kitchen in San Jose. Angelina performs very occasionally but music is not her priority anymore. Here's Angelina performing Release Me 1996.
Wednesday, July 29, 2020
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Treme Brass Band
Song:Just A Closer Walk With Thee
Album:Treme: Music from the HBO Original Series Season 1
I'm sure it won't surprise anyone that I was a huge fan of the HBO series Treme which ran from 2010-13. Treme was set in post Katrina New Orleans. The show was created by David Simon and Eric Overmyer. Simon is the man behind The Wire which is one of the greatest shows in TV history. Overmyer is behind the hit Amazon series Bosch. The Bosch character is a big jazz fan so of course I'm a fan of the show. Fans of The Wire need to watch Treme. Many of the actors who appeared in The Wire also appeared in Treme. Treme can be streamed on HBO Max in the US and Crave in Canada. One of the best things about Treme was all of the great New Orleans musicians who appeared on the show. Episode one featured the Treme Brass Band performing Just A Closer Walk With Thee at a funeral. Fans of The Wire will recognize actor Wendell Pierce in the scene. He played a trombonist on the show. This appears on the season one soundtrack for Treme. There are all kinds of great musicians on the CD. The Treme Brass Band also recorded Just A Closer Walk With Thee on their 1995 CD Gimme My Money Back on Arhoolie Records. They were a big part of the New Orleans brass band revival mostly as a street band. They have only recorded a few albums. They were led by Benny Jones Sr. on snare drum and Lionel Batiste on bass drum. The rest of the band was very fluid. Kermit Ruffins is among the musicians who went through Treme Brass Band and he cites Batiste as a big influence. Lionel Batiste died in 2012. But Benny Jones Sr. is still around. So I assume that Treme Brass Band are still performing in the streets of the Treme section of New Orleans. Here's the Treme Brass Band with Wendell Pierce performing Just A Closer Walk With Thee from season one episode one of the HBO series Treme.
Tuesday, July 28, 2020
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Sasha Banks vs Asuka
Here is the match video of Sasha Banks vs Asuka from last night's episode of RAW. This was another really good match marred by illogical booking. Normally a title can only be won by pinfall or submission. But in this match a DQ or countout could would result in the title going to the winner. So a lot of that was teased. Before the commercial, Kairi Sane chased Bayley to the back. I would have let Bayley stay at ringside to keep an eye on her. This one thing cost Asuka the match. And of course it wrote Kairi off TV. One of the funnier spots had Sasha pretending to leave so she could get Asuka DQd. But the ref saw it and told her to knock it off. They are going along and when it looks like Asuka will win, they cut to the back to Bayley beating up Kairi. So what have those two been doing for the last twenty minutes? Of course Asuka is distracted and she goes to the back to help Kairi and she is counted out. Sasha is the new RAW Women's Champion. Just keep on mind heels don't care how cheap the win is. Kairi is officially gone from the WWE. This was taped last week so I think she is in Japan already. She might do a brief retirement tour as she promised Stardom's Rossy Ogawa she would return. But she doesn't live near Tokyo so it would be tough for her to stay in the wrestling business. I don't think this angle is over as Sasha and Bayley will find out that an angry Asuka is tough to handle. I have also heard that Io Shirai may be moved up. Enjoy the video!
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Demetria McKinney
Song:Easy
Album:Officially Yours
Actress Demetria McKinney is known for appearing in several TV series including Tyler Perry's House of Pain. But she also had success with her 2017 debut album Officially Yours and the single Easy mostly in the Adult R&B market. She's pretty good. She was born Aug. 27, 1979 in Natchitoches, LA but she was in a military family so they moved a lot. She attended high school in Fort Walton Beach, FL and studied theater at Okaloosa-Walton Community College. She has worked a lot for Tyler Perry. She appeared in a couple of his plays and that led to Demetria being cast as Janine in the TBS series Tyler Perry's House of Pain. She was on that show from 2006-2012. She was a regular on the TV One series The Ricky Smiley Show. Currently she appears on the Bounce TV series Saints & Sinners and the Urban Movie Channel series A House Divided. She will also be in Tyler Perry's BET revival of House of Pain. After releasing a few singles and appearing as a vocalist on an Anthony David album, Demetria signed with eOne and released the 2017 album Officially Yours. The album was produced by the production group We Are Starbound led by Mike Brinkley who has produced Nas and Big Sean. Most of the songs including Easy were written and produced by his guys. Easy reached #4 on the Adult R&B chart. With all the TV she does, I'm not sure if Demetria has much time for a recording career. R&B fans should check her out. Here's the video for Easy by Demetria McKinney.
Monday, July 27, 2020
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Morgan Evans
Song:Day Drunk
Album:Things That We Drink To
Aussie country singer Morgan Evans is trying to follow in the footsteps of country music superstar Keith Urban. With his 2018 major label debut CD Things That We Drink To and two hit singles he's off to a good start. And he's married to country music superstar Kelsea Bellerini. Life is good. He was born Apr. 24, 1985 in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. He had a band in high school with his brother Tom called Extortion. After the name was changed to Solver, they won Artist of the Year at the 2006 MusicOz Awards. After winning the 2007 TV competition Telstra Road to Tamworth, Evans went to Nashville to record a single. An EP Big Skies was released on Sony in Australia. It got some radio play there. Evans signed with Warner Music Austalasia and released the 2012 EP While We're Young and the 2014 album Morgan Evans. Warner Music Nashville liked it enough to sign Evans and move him to Nashville permanently. He recorded the 2018 album Things That We Drink To with producer Chris DeStefano who has also produced Chase Rice. The two wrote all the songs with a third songwriter writing the lyrics. Day Drunk was written with veteran songwriter Lindy Robbins. Day Drunk reached #29 on the Country Singles chart. The other hit from the album Kiss Somebody reached #11. Evans married Kelsea Bellerini in 2017. The single Diamonds was released in Nov. 2019. So Evans has a new album coming but I didn't see anything about when it will be released. Here's the video for Day Drunk by Morgan Evans. And that is Kelsea Bellerini in the video.
Sunday, July 26, 2020
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Pannie Kianzad vs Bethe Correia
Here's the match video of Pannie Kianzad vs Bethe Correia from last night's UFC show in Abu Dhabi. Pannie is from Denmark but she trains in Sweden. She was in TUF 28 and she's now 1-1 in the UFC. She's a midcard fighter but she's better than Bethe who has been around the UFC for several years. She's a lower midcard fighter and at age 37, the clock is ticking on her. And I never thought she was any good in the first place. Pannie won easily. She's quicker and she throws combinations. Bethe didn't do that. I scored the fight 30-27 for Pannie. She won by unanimous decision. I'm not even going to get into Bethe's stupid mistakes. She would have lost anyway. Enjoy the video!
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Carla Esparza vs Marina Rodriguez
Here's the match video of Carla Esparza vs Marina Rodriguez from last night's UFC show in Abu Dhabi. This is a significant fight in the Strawweight division with both fighters ranked and looking to get into the title picture. Carla is on a three fight winning streak. Marina is undefeated in four UFC fights but two of them were draws. I don't think Marina does enough to win fights. And she doesn't do enough in this fight. Except Carla almost hands her this fight on a silver platter. She was lucky to escape with a split decision win. Carla got a takedown in round one. But she was in closed guard and she wasn't able to advance her position. Marina not only defended well but she scored from the bottom with elbows and Carla was cut over the eye. At the end of the round, Marina reversed her position and landed more shots from the top. My criteria is if a fighter gets a takedown, she needs to advance her position. Carla didn't do that and Marina caused significant damage from the bottom. So I scored the round 10-9 for Marina. One judge scored it that way and the other two scored it 10-9 for Carla. Round two was very similar and I scored it 10-9 for Marina. Two of the judges scored it the same and the third scored it 10-9 for Carla. Carla's coach Colin Oyama yelled at her between rounds. So she was a lot better in round three. That round was 10-9 for Carla. So I scored the fight 29-28 for Marina. One judge scored it 29-28 for Marina. The second judge scored it 29-28 for Carla. And the third scored it 30-27 for Carla which is a ridiculous score. So Carla won by split decision. I thought she fought a very stupid fight and didn't deserve to win. Afterwards, of course Carla called out Claudia Gadelha. They have a long standing beef going back to their Invicta days. I don't think Claudia wants to fight her. Claudia has a fight coming up vs Yan Xiaonan. Yan could win that fight and she could beat Carla too. And Amanda Ribas called out Carla a couple of weeks ago. I expect Carla to avoid that fight if she can. Check out the fight video and tell me what you think.
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Northern Pikes
Song:She Ain't Pretty
Album:Hits and Assorted Secrets 1984-1993
The Northern Pikes had success in their native Canada. But they were never able to break through in the US. And that is what split them up in 1993. The 1990 single She Ain't Pretty was their biggest hit. They reformed in 1999 and they still tour. They released an album last year. The Northern Pikes are from Saskatoon. Lead singer and guitarist Bryan Potvin and bassist Jay Semko were friends in high school. After bouncing around different bands, the two decided to join forces and name themselves after a fish. Meryl Bryck was the second guitarist. All three guys wrote songs and The Northern Pikes usually self produced their albums. They went through a few drummers. But by the time they got a record deal, Don Schmid had joined and he was the drummer for most of the band's run. The Northern Pikes started out as a top 40 cover band playing local clubs to raise money to record an EP. After releasing two EPs, Doug Chappell of Virgin Records signed them to a six album international deal. That seems excessive for an unknown band. The Northern Pikes released four albums for Virgin. The 1990 album Snow in June was their most successful in Canada. She Ain't Pretty reached #6 on the Canadian Singles chart. But Virgin in the US passed on the album and Scotti Bros. released it in 1991. After the 1992 album Neptune, The Northern Pikes split up frustrated about their inability to get anywhere in the US. Semko released a solo album in 1995. He composed the music for the popular Canadian TV series Due South and other TV shows and films. He continues to do that today. He has released 11 solo recordings. Potvin became A&R manager for PolyGram Canada. He developed acts like Tegan & Sara and Finger Eleven. When Virgin asked The Northern Pikes to help them with the 1999 comp CD Hits and Assorted Secrets, they toured briefly and then decided to reform permanently. They still tour and last year the album Forest of Love was released by Universal Canada. Here's the video for She Ain't Pretty by The Northern Pikes.
Saturday, July 25, 2020
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Taco
Song:Puttin' on the Ritz
Album:I Love 80s
This synth pop cover of the Irving Berlin standard Puttin' on the Ritz was a dance hit in Europe and then it crossed over to pop and was a top five hit in 1983. It was the only big hit for Taco Ockerse. He was born July 21, 1955 in Jakarta, Indonesia but he grew up in The Netherlands. He studied interior design and acting at the International School in Brussels, Belgium. He moved to Hamburg, Germany in 1974. For the next few years Taco was a member of the Thalia Theater ensemble and appeared in several musicals. Then he formed the band Taco's Bizz in 1979. After releasing a couple of singles on Polydor in Germany, he got together with disco producers David Parker and Werner Lang and signed with RCA. The 1982 album After Eight was synth pop covers of standards. Singin' in the Rain was the first single. That went nowhere but the second single Puttin' on the Ritz was a big dance hit in Europe. After RCA released it in the US, it reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1983. There is a music video but it has been banned due to blackface images. I think they were trying to emulate 30s musicals and there was plenty of blackface in those films. I did find the video on Youtube but it wasn't good enough quality to use and I expect that it will be deleted anyway. That was Taco's only chart hit and you can get it on this various artists budget comp. Taco continued to record in Germany but he is a one hit wonder here. He continues to perform and he has also done acting on TV in Germany. Here's Taco performing Puttin' on the Ritz on Top of the Pops 1983.
Friday, July 24, 2020
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Judy Collins
Song:Thirsty Boots
Album:Judy Collins Wildflower Festival
Here's an album that will be of interest to folk music fans. It was organized by Judy Collins and it features folk music legends Eric Andersen, Tom Rush and Arlo Guthrie. Thirsty Boots is probably Andersen's best known song because Judy recorded it in the 60s. She started her own label Wildflower Records in 1992 with her manager Katherine DePaul. They normally license albums to labels like LaserLight. They currently work with Cleopatra Records. Wildflower has released a few albums themselves. Live At Wolf Trap was their first release in 1999. The Judy Collins Wildflower Festival was the second release in 2003. This was filmed and recorded at Humphries By The Sea in San Diego. Judy, Tom Rush, Eric Andersen and Arlo Guthrie all perform individually and then they perform three songs together at the end of the show. They perform Guthrie's biggest hit City of New Orleans, Andersen's Thirsty Boots and finish with Will The Circle Be Unbroken. Judy makes a point of showcasing Andersen because he never achieved commercial success. This was released on CD and DVD. And that's what you get along with a third CD of interviews. The DVD was released separately but is out of print. Fans of Judy and the other artists should check it out. Judy's latest album Winter Stories with Norwegian Jonas Fjeld and his band Chatham County Line was released last year. Here's Judy Collins with Eric Andersen, Arlo Guthrie and Tom Rush performing Thirsty Boots at the Judy Collins Wildflower Festival in San Diego 2002.
Thursday, July 23, 2020
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Hugo Winterhalter and his Orchestra
Song:Canadian Sunset
Album:Through The Years
Hugo Winterhalter was a house arranger and producer for RCA Records in the 50s. He also released instrumentals under his own name similar to what Percy Faith did at Columbia. Winterhalter scored seven top ten hits. The 1956 single Canadian Sunset was the biggest of those hits. He was born Aug. 15, 1909 in Wilkes-Barre, PA. He played sax at Mount St. Mary's University in Maryland and he studied at the New England Conservatory of Music. After graduating, he taught for a few years. In the 30s he worked for Count Basie, Claude Thornhill and Tommy Dorsey. In the late 40s he got into studio work first with MGM and then Columbia. Winterhalter joined RCA in 1950. At RCA he worked with Harry Belafonte, Eddie Fisher, Perry Como, Dinah Shore and The Ames Brothers. He also scored top ten hits with Blue Christmas in 1949, Count Every Star and Mr. Touchdown U.S.A. in 1950 and Blue Tango and Vanessa in 1952. He recorded the 1954 single Land of Dreams with pianist Eddie Haywood. Haywood started out as a jazz pianist in the 40s. But by the 50s he was recording easy listening albums. After Land of Dreams charted, Winterhalter asked Heywood to write another song. That was Canadian Sunset. It reached #2 on the pop charts in 1956. A vocal version by Andy Williams was also a top ten hit. Norman Gimbel wrote the lyrics. Winterhalter worked for RCA until 1963. He worked for Kapp Records and on Broadway, films and TV. The British label Jasmine has released this 2CD comp covering Winterhalter's entire career. Canadian Sunset also appears on various artists CDs like the soundtrack for Martin Scorsese's Netflix film The Irishman. Hugo Winterhalter died of cancer on Sept. 17, 1973 at age 64. Here's a video for Canadian Sunset by Hugo Winterhalter and his Orchestra featuring Eddie Haywood.
Wednesday, July 22, 2020
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Mario Adnet Philippe Baden Powell
Song:Lamento de Exu
Album:Afrosambajazz: The Music of Baden Powell
Brazilian guitarist Mario Adnet is mainly an arranger and conductor but he sometimes records as a leader. This 2009 album is a big band tribute to legendary guitarist Baden Powell featuring his son Philippe Baden Powell on piano. Adnet was born Sept. 26, 1957 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Several family members are musicians. He studied at the Vienna School of Music. Adnet released a 1979 album with pianist Alberto Rosenbilt. He released another album in 1984. But for most of the 80s Adnet worked for PolyGram as an arranger. Among the artist he worked with were Joyce, Vinicius Cantauria and Chuck Mangione. Adnet released albums in 1994 and 2001 while continuing as an arranger for Lisa Ono, the group Friends From Rio and his daughters Maucha and Antonia. Adnet signed with Biscotto Fino and Adventure in the US. Afrosambajazz was his first release of that deal in 2009. It is a big band tribute to legendary guitarist Baden Powell featuring his son Philippe Baden Powell on piano. Adnet plays the guitar solo. Adnet has released four albums on Biscotto Fino. Three of them are jazz tributes to Antonio Carlos Jobim. His latest album Saudade Maravilhosa was released in 2016. Adnet wrote and produced and played acoustic guitar with a mid sized band. Here's a video for Lamento de Exu by Mario Adnet Philippe Baden Powell.
Tuesday, July 21, 2020
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Kairi Sane vs Bayley
Here's the match video of Kairi Sane vs Bayley from last night's episode of RAW. Kairi gave a great performance in her final WWE match. And they even let her win. They taped two episodes of RAW yesterday so next week will be Kairi's farewell appearance. Before this match, Stephanie McMahon read the riot act to Bayley and Sasha Banks about their behavior at Extreme Rules. So next week it will be Asuka vs Sasha. Normally a title does not change hands on a DQ. But in this match it will. The goal is for Bayley to behave herself at ringside. My guess is she won't be able to control herself and will cost Sasha the title. They could have done this on Sunday. But Vince McMahon is awfully dopey these days. The likely scenario next week is Shayna Baszler will "break" Kairi's arm. And that will set up Asuka vs Shayna at SummerSlam. Dave Meltzer reports that Vince wanted Natalya for this angle but her husband TJ Wilson has been sick so she was told to stay home. If this is true, it shows how much Vince hates Shayna. She has the technical ability but she lacks charisma. And as we saw at Wrestlemania, Shayna doesn't have the ability to elevate a match. I get a lot of why doesn't Vince like Shayna. And until she improves in those areas, he won't push her. This isn't NXT. You need some sizzle with that steak and she may never have that ability. This is a big problem for her that she may not understand. But Asuka does have that ability so I expect their matches to be great. Asuka will make sure of that. Enjoy the video!
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Del Amitri
Song:Roll To Me
Album:Collection
The Scottish band Del Amitri were successful mostly at home in England. But Roll To Me was a top ten pop hit in 1995. The song is catchy and memorable. I think most music fans have heard the song but know nothing about the band. Del Amitri was formed in 1980 out of a band that lead singer, guitarist and songwriter Justin Currie had in school in Glasgow, Scotland. When two of the original members left to go to college, Currie placed an ad in a music store. Guitarist Iain Harvie responded and he and Currie are the main guys. Other band members were interchangeable. Currie says the band was supposed to be called Dmitri but it became Del Amitri. He says the name is meaningless. Del Amitri signed with Chrysalis Records and released the 1985 album Del Amitri. For the 1989 album Waking Hours, Del Amitri moved to A&M. They brought in keyboard player Andy Alston who stayed in the band for their entire run. Nothing Ever Happens reached #11 on the British Singles chart and the album was certified Platinum in England. They continued to have success in England. But they finally scored a hit in the US when Roll To Me reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100. This was from the 1995 album Twisted. The band did not believe Roll To Me was one of their best songs and they were irked that it was so successful. They were reluctant to play it live. The video appeared on an episode of MTV's popular show Beavis and Butt-Head and it seems that was instrumental in the song becoming a hit. Del Amitri was moved to Mercury for the 2002 album Can You Do Me Good?. The label told them if this album didn't sell, they were out. And that's what happened. Del Amitri went on hiatus. This budget comp has all their hits. Currie has recorded four solo albums. Harvie has produced Eileen Rose and The Maccabees. Alston played on Currie's solo albums. Del Amitri reunited and toured in 2013 and 2018. During that second tour, Currie and Harvie decided to record a new album as Del Amitri and tour. They have signed with Cooking Vinyl and the album is expected late in 2020. Here's the video for Roll To Me by Del Amitri.
Monday, July 20, 2020
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Asuka vs Sasha Banks
Here's the match video of Asuka defending her RAW Women's Championship against Sasha Banks. The match itself is great until the incredibly stupid finish. Dave Meltzer reported that the original finish had Asuka winning clean. Vince McMahon decided to change it in a misguided attempt to get fans to tune in to RAW. This is a mistake for two reasons. The first is that RAW ratings will continue to tank as long as there are no fans in the arena. Not accepting that fact is misguided. The other thing is that Extreme Rules had way too many screwy finishes and dud matches that turn off even loyal fans so much that they stop watching completely. Vince should know better but he can't help himself. The WWE has already acknowledged that Asuka is still champ. This will likely lead to a rematch at SummerSlam. We will also see Kairi Sane for the final time as she will face Bayley and then retire from pro wrestling. The match is really good until the finish so enjoy the video!
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Celtic Woman
Song:Danny Boy
Album:The Greatest Journey: Essential Collection
Celtic Woman is a good example of target marketing. Though they have never had a hit single, they have been very successful selling CDs, DVDs and touring. Most of their success in the US came from a series of PBS specials. Celtic Woman should remind you of Riverdance because David Downes is the guy behind both. Of course Riverdance was very successful in the 90s mostly as a stage show. When it ended, Downes created Celtic Woman with David Kavanagh and Sharon Browne. There are five women in the group. I guess the only requirements are all five are capable of singing lead and harmony. Most of the songs are traditional like Danny Boy though some original songs are tossed in as well. The original members heard on this recording of Danny Boy are Chloe Agnew, Orla Fallon, Lisa Kelly and Maev Ni Mhaolchatha. Mairead Nesbitt doesn't sing but she plays fiddle and dances. Maev sings lead on Danny Boy. A Sept. 15, 2004 concert at The Helix in Dublin was filmed. It was supposed to be a test. Downes etc. didn't know if it would be more than a one shot deal. But the TV show was sold to PBS. And they signed a record deal with EMI's Manhattan label. Their 2005 debut album topped the World Music chart. This 2008 CD is a comp from the first couple of albums. Celtic Woman has continued to be successful. Downes is still musical director. The only original member of Celtic Woman is Chloe Agnew. And she just returned after several years as a solo act. Maev Ni Mhaolchatha is currently Celtic Woman's vocal director. Lisa Kelly moved to Georgia to start her own music school. Orla Fallon and Mairead Nesbitt have recorded solo albums. Celtic Woman were on a 15th Anniversary tour when the pandemic started. They also released the CD Celebration: 15 Years of Music and Magic. I expect their success to continue for many years. Here's Celtic Woman performing Danny Boy.
Sunday, July 19, 2020
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Ariane Lipski vs Luana Carolina
Here's the match video of Ariane Lipski vs Luana Carolina from last night's UFC show in Abu Dhabi. This fight is at Flyweight. Of course Ariane came to the UFC with a lot of hype as a former KSW champ. Then she got derailed in her UFC debut vs Joanne Calderwood. She was 1-2 going into this fight. Luana is from Sao Paulo, Brazil. She was in the Brazilian Contender Series and she won her UFC debut. She has been out since then with a back injury. She is mainly a striker. Ariane knocks Luana down with a body shot and follows her to the ground. When Ariane is unable to advance her position, she decides to get up. Instead of following her, Luana grabs Ariane's heel. Since Luana is a striker, I don't know why she did this. Also, a heel hook is a very low percentage submission. After Luana attempts to turn this into a calf slicer, Ariane adjusts her position so she is sitting on Luana. Ariane grabs her leg, leans back with a kneebar and Luana screams in pain. I don't think Luana could see what Ariane was doing. But obviously she made a bad mistake that cost her the fight. Ariane received a $50,000 performance bonus. Luana will have an MRI when she returns to Brazil. It looks like she blew out her knee. Enjoy the video!
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Gwyneth Paltrow
Song:Bette Davis Eyes
Album:Duets: Original Soundtrack
Actress Gwyneth Paltrow won a Best Actress Oscar for the 1998 film Shakespeare in Love. She was a big star until she became a mother in 2006 and decided to stay home. These days she is active on TV as the filming schedule is better for her family. She has sung in two films, the 2000 film Duets and the 2010 film Country Strong. She was born Sept. 27, 1972 in Los Angeles. Her parents are director Bruce Paltrow and actress Blythe Danner. She got into acting in the early 90s. She was noticed in the 1993 film Flesh and Bone and the 1995 film Seven. But the film that made her a star was the 1996 film adaptation of the Jane Austen novel Emma. Director Douglas McGrath says he saw Gwyneth in Flesh and Bone. After that she starred in several successful films especially the 1998 film Shakespeare in Love for which she won an Oscar. The 2000 film Duets was directed by Gwyneth's father Bruce Paltrow. It was the only time she worked with him and Duets was his final film before his 2002 death. He was best known for the TV shows The White Shadow and St. Elsewhere. Apparently he had trouble getting financing for Duets and Gwyneth's star power helped with that. Duets is about karaoke competitions. Huey Lewis and Gwyneth play father and daughter and they sing the Smokey Robinson song Cruisin'. Gwyneth's cover of Bette Davis Eyes was released as a single. And the soundtrack album is available. Most of the actors did their own singing. I haven't seen Duets but it didn't do well with critics or at the box office. Gwyneth's other singing appearances were in the TV series Glee and the 2010 film Country Strong. She met her current husband producer Brad Falchuk on the set of Glee. Gwyneth has appeared as Pepper Potts in Marvel films. She currently appears in the Netflix series The Politician playing the mother of the lead character played by Ben Platt. She also owns the wellness company Goop which has been accused of deceptive marketing. She produced a six part Goop docuseries for Netflix. Here's Gwyneth Paltrow performing Bette Davis Eyes in the 2000 film Duets.
Saturday, July 18, 2020
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Bayley and Sasha Banks vs Asuka and Nikki Cross
Here's the match video of Bayley and Sasha Banks vs Asuka and Nikki Cross from last night's episode of Smackdown. Alexa Bliss announced that she would have a mystery guest on her talk show. Would it surprise you that I don't like these talk show segments? After Bayley and Sasha come out to make fun of Nikki, Asuka is revealed as the mystery guest. So now we have a tag match. The match was fine but a timewaster done mainly so commentary could speculate on who would win the title matches on Extreme Rules this Sunday. The WWE would like fans to think that a tag match like this is significant but it isn't. After Nikki and Asuka take turns as babyface in peril, they come back and the match is pretty good down the stretch. Bayley pins Nikki with her feet on the ropes. I don't mind that sort of thing if Bayley tries to hide it. But all the ref had to do is lift his head and he would have stopped the count. With that finish and the fact that the match was pointless in the first place, I hated the booking though the match was OK. Later in the show, they did a segment where Nikki was upset about losing again. She spotted Bayley and Sasha backstage and attacked them. It doesn't make me think she can beat Bayley. Enjoy the video!
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-James Cotton
Song:Cotton Crop Blues
Album:Blue Flames: A Sun Blues Collection
Blues harmonica legend James Cotton was best known for his 70s recordings on Buddah Records. Before that he was in Muddy Waters band and he was a Chess Records session musician. Before that, Cotton Crop Blues was one of two singles he recorded for Sun Records. In 1952 Cotton was living in Memphis. He was playing in Howlin' Wolf's band among others. He got his own radio show on KWEM in Memphis. Sun Records owner Sam Phillips approached Cotton about recording. He recorded two singles for Sun in 1953. My Baby was the first single followed by Cotton Crop Blues. Though the singles went nowhere, Cotton Crop Blues was a regular song in Cotton's repertoire. He recorded it in the 60s on Vanguard and also in the 90s. The odd thing about these two singles is that Cotton only sings. He doesn't play harmonica. The most notable thing about Cotton Crop Blues is Pat Hare's guitar. Supposedly this was the first recorded use of heavily distorted power chords. Hare was mainly a sideman for everyone from Muddy Waters to Junior Parker and his guitar work is highly respected and influential. He only recorded one single in 1954 called I'm Gonna Murder My Baby. It appears on this Rhino various artists budget comp along with Cotton Crop Blues. Other musicians on Cotton Crop Blues are Mose Vinson on piano and John Bowers on drums. Vinson played on a few Sun singles but mostly he was the custodian at the boarding house next door where most of the musicians stayed when they were in Memphis. Bowers was in Junior Parker's band along with Cotton. Soon after this Waters needed a new harmonica player to replace Junior Wells and Cotton moved to Chicago in 1955. And that's when Cotton's career took off. Here's a video of Cotton Crop Blues by James Cotton.
Friday, July 17, 2020
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Io Shirai vs Tegan Nox
Here's the match video of Io Shirai defending her NXT Women's Championship against Tegan Nox from this week's episode of NXT. Whether you are talking about Tegan or Dakota Kai, it doesn't matter. Neither belongs in the same ring as Io. Similar to Asuka, Io doesn't like doing squash matches. But sometimes a glorified squash match is necessary. That's what I would have liked to have seen in this match. Instead Tegan got way too much offense. I didn't really buy this move they had Io do where she banged her knees into the metal steps. Commentary tried really hard to sell that move. Remember a couple of weeks ago when Sasha Banks powerbombed Io into the plexiglass? And they are trying to sell banging her knees into the steps as more damaging? It's not credible. The purpose was to allow Tegan to get more offense in down the stretch including a Molly Go Round. Tegan is a big Molly Holly fan. It didn't make me think Tegan would win. In the end Io won with a moonsault. I would have preferred a more dominant Io Shirai. 50/50 booking is not always the way to go. Dakota Kai attacked Io after the match. I expect that match to be booked similarly. Enjoy the video!
The Big Topic in WMMA podcast
Review of Saturday's and Wednesday's UFC shows and preview of this Saturday's show.
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Alarm
Song:Spirit of '76
Album:Strength 1985-1986
The Welsh group The Alarm had success in England in the 80s. They were on the second tier of the early 80s wave of groups from England led by U2. The Alarm's problem was they sounded too much like U2. The comparisons were endless. The Alarm were from Rhyl, Wales. They emerged from the late 70s punk scene. Lead singer Mike Peters led a band called The Toilets who soon became The Who cover band Quasimodo which included guitarist Dave Sharp. When the band name was changed to Seventeen, Peters' next door neighbor Eddie MacDonald was the bassist. Nigel Twist was the drummer. They released a single as Seventeen and toured with The Stray Cats. They decided to call themselves The Alarm and they moved to London in 1981. Music journalists started to take notice of them and that led to U2's manager Ian Wilson becoming The Alarm's manager. They even opened for U2 in 1981. Apparently Bono was a big The Alarm fan and they continued to tour with U2. They signed with I.R.S. Records and released a couple of EPs and toured the US. A 1983 appearance of Top of the Pops propelled Sixty Eight Guns into the British top 20. They finally released their debut album Declaration in 1984. Spirit of '76 is from the 1985 album Strength. They continued to have modest success but the comparisons to U2 probably hurt them more than Peters is willing to admit. In recent years The Alarm has released expanded editions of their albums. This 2CD edition of Strength includes demos and alternate takes. The Alarm released a total of seven albums on I.R.S. After that Peters started his own label. He left The Alarm to go solo in 1991. He eventually reformed The Alarm and still leads a version of the band today. Here's the video of Spirit of '76 by The Alarm.
Thursday, July 16, 2020
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Liana Jojua vs Diana Belbita
Here's the match video of Liana Jojua vs Diana Belbita from last night's UFC show in Abu Dhabi. This fight was at Flyweight. Liana is from Georgia. She made her UFC debut as a late replacement as a Flyweight fighting at Bantamweight. Diana is from Romania and she trains in Stoney Creek, ON. She also came to the UFC as a late replacement. So it's hard to tell if either of them is any good. In this fight, we saw that Diana isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer. She took Liana down and then stumbled into an armbar. And that was it. So now we have to see Liana against better competition. Enjoy the video!
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Taila Santos vs Molly McCann
Here's the match video of Taila Santos vs Molly McCann from last night's UFC show in Abu Dhabi. This fight was at Flyweight. Taila is 27 years old from Santa Catarina, Brazil. She was in the Brazilian Contender Series. She lost her UFC debut. She lost the first two rounds but did OK in the third. She said in her post match interview after winning this fight that she was suffering from the UFC jitters. Molly is from Liverpool, England. She is a former Cage Warriors champ but she's a very limited fighter. And that's the story of this fight. Molly can punch but she doesn't do anything else well. And she doesn't even punch hard. Taila is more versatile. She uses knees in the clinch to weaken Molly. And then she takes her down. This happens in all three rounds and Molly had no answer. So Taila won by unanimous decision. I don't think Molly is a UFC caliber fighter. But the UFC needs British fighters on British shows. And Molly is a draw at home. Obviously I would like to see Taila against a better opponent. Enjoy the video!
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Cody Johnson
Song:On My Way To You
Album:Ain't Nothin' To It
Cody Johnson released several albums on his own label before signing with Warner Nashville for the 2019 album Ain't Nothin' To It and the top twenty country hit On My Way To You. He was born May 21, 1987 in Sebastopol, TX and he grew up in Huntsville. His father was an amateur musician who appeared on Johnson's first album. He played in bands as a teen. And he also was a bull rider. Johnson attended college for a while. But he decided to work as a prison supervisor while he worked on his music. Johnson released six albums on his own label. He had regional success in Texas. When Johnson's 2016 album Gotta Be Me sold 43,000 copies and reached #11 on the Billboard 200, Warner Nashville signed Johnson for his 2019 album Ain't Nothin' To It. The album was produced by Trent Willmon who has worked with Johnson since 2011. Willmon had modest success when he released a couple of albums on Columbia. Since then he has had success writing songs for Montgomery Gentry among others. He produces Johnson and Kevin Fowler. Willmon doesn't seem to be active as a performer. On My Way To You reached #13 on the Country Singles chart. The album topped the Country Album chart. On My Way To You was written by veteran songwriters Brett James and Tony Lane. James released an album in 1995. Since then he has had a lot of songwriting success especially with Kenny Chesney. Lane has written hits for John Michael Montgomery among others. Johnson writes but he only co-wrote one song on the album. Johnson's music has been described as neo honky tonk. His background in rodeo is helpful especially in Texas. We will see if Johnson's next album can sustain his initial success. Here's the video for On My Way To You by Cody Johnson.
Wednesday, July 15, 2020
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Amber
Song:This Is Your Night
Album:This Is Your Night
Marie-Claire "Amber" Cremers had a lot of success on the dance charts. The 1996 single This Is Your Night was her first single. It was one of two singles that crossed over to pop. She was born Sept. 17, 1989 in Ubbergen, The Netherlands but she grew up in Hamburg, Germany. Her father is an opera singer and her mother played piano and sang. Amber got into studio work in Hamburg and that's where she met The Berman Brothers. They had success with Real McCoy and later they won a Grammy for the 2001 Baha Men single Who Let The Dogs Out. They are real life brothers Frank and Christian Bermann. This Is Your Night was a demo. Tommy Boy picked it up and it was a big dance club hit. It crossed over to pop and reached #24 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album This Is Your Night followed. Amber wrote the songs with The Berman Brothers and they produced. The song is fairly standard Eurodance. Amber's sound is very similar to the popular duo La Bouche. Amber's other crossover hit was the 1999 single Sexual (Li Da Di) which reached #42 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was from the 1999 album Amber. She also appeared on the dance cover of If You Could Read My Mind from the 1998 film Studio 54. She split with The Berman Brothers for the 2002 album Naked produced by Wolfram Dettki. Tommy Boy didn't like the album. They wanted her to return to her Eurodance sound. She bought out her contract. And since then Amber has recorded for her own label. She released an album in 2004 that is much different from her dance music albums. And she has released a few singles including a 2008 cover of No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) with C + C Music Factory's Zelma Davis. Amber last recorded in 2009 but she continues to perform. This Is Your Night is available as a budget CD. Here's the video of This Is Your Night by Amber.
Tuesday, July 14, 2020
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Sasha Banks and Bayley vs Kabuki Warriors
Here's the match video of Sasha Banks and Bayley defending the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships against Kabuki Warriors from last night's episode of RAW. I did not expect a title change. Of course Asuka will defend her RAW Women's Championship against Sasha at Extreme rules this Sunday. And the other question mark is Kairi Sane's status. The match is about what I expected. Kairi was trapped in their corner for a long time. Did she sell that too much and take way too long to make a tag? I thought it was a bit excessive. But the Kabuki Warriors came back. And that led to Kairi's Insane Elbow. Asuka didn't spot Bayley on the floor and she broke it up. Sasha transitioned into her Banks Statement finisher and that was it. So last week I thought maybe Kairi had signed a new contract. That's the vibe I was getting. Last night the Kabuki Warriors appeared on RAW Talk and Kairi challenged Asuka to a title match and Asuka accepted. I expect Asuka to retain the title on Sunday. And last night Shayna Baszler returned to TV. So she could be involved in Asuka vs Kairi which would retire Kairi and set up a feud with Asuka. I guess that's one way to do it. Enjoy the video!
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Trooper
Song:Raise A Little Hell
Album:Hot Shots
Trooper was very successful in their native Canada. They were never able to break into the US market. The 1978 single Raise A Little Hell is their signature song mostly because it is frequently used as a sports anthem. So I think folks have heard the song in that context but aren't familiar with the band. Trooper are from Vancouver led by lead singer Ra McGuire and guitarist Brian Smith. They write all the songs. In 1967 McGuire and Smith were in a band called Winter's Green who released a couple of singles. After changing the band name to Applejack, they had success playing live gigs in British Columbia. Randy Bachman saw them live and he signed them to his record label. The band name was changed to Trooper. After releasing the 1975 debut album Trooper and having success with the single General Hand Grenade, Bachman sold Trooper's contract to MCA Canada. Bachman produced Trooper's first four albums. Raise A Little Hell is from the 1978 album Thick as Thieves. Trooper added keyboard player Frank Ludwig in 1975. Doni Underhill replaced original bassist Harry Kalensky in 1977. Brian Stewart had been the drummer since they were Applejack. Raise A Little Hell reached #25 on the Canadian Singles chart. It was also their only song to chart in the US. It reached #59 on the Billboard Hot 100. Though Raise A Little Hell was not Trooper's biggest hit in Canada, the song has had a long life as a sports anthem. Rolling Stone placed Raise A Little Hell #7 on Top Ten Sports Anthems of All Time. That's pretty good for a song that was not a big hit. You may have heard Raise A Little Hell in the Netflix series Stranger Things. Trooper continued to have success in Canada. This 1980 comp Hot Shots was their biggest selling album in Canada. It was certified 5XPlatinum. It's available as a budget CD. Bachman left and Trooper self produced the 1980 album Untitled. Then they left MCA for RCA for the 1982 album Money Talks with Heart producer Mike Flicker. Then Trooper released a couple of albums on their own label with WEA Canada distribution. Trooper last recorded in 1991. But they are still around. And they are still cashing royalty cheques for Raise A Little Hell. Here's Trooper performing Raise A Little Hell 1978.
Monday, July 13, 2020
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Angus & Julia Stone
Song:A Heartbreak
Album:Angus & Julia Stone
The brother sister duo of Angus & Julia Stone have been successful in their native Australia. Attempts to break them elsewhere have been unsuccessful. Those who like indie folk rock should check them out. They are from Sydney, Australia. They started performing together in 2006. They write songs individually and then they finish them in the studio. After releasing a couple of EPs independently, they signed with EMI Australia which led to a worldwide deal with EMI. They are on Capitol in the US. After moving to England, they released two EPs. The first EP was produced by Chris Potter (The Verve) and the second was produced by Fran Healy of Travis. Healy also produced their 2007 debut album A Book Like This. The album was very successful in Australia. After releasing a second album, Julia released a solo album in 2010. Angus released an album under the name Lady of the Sunshine. They attempted to record together in 2012. But they couldn't seem to figure our what songs they should record. So they both released solo albums in 2012. Finally legendary producer Rick Rubin got them back together to record the 2014 album Angus & Julia Stone. The album topped the Australian charts. Since then they released the 2017 album Snow. Angus has released four solo albums. He calls himself Dope Lemon and the album Smooth Big Cat was released in 2019. Julia hasn't released a solo album since she reunited with Angus. But she has released a few singles. Like I said, those who enjoy indie folk rock should check out Angus & Julia Stone. Here's the video of A Heartbreak by Angus & Julia Stone.
Sunday, July 12, 2020
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Karol Rosa vs Vanessa Melo
Here's the match video of Karol Rosa vs Vanessa Melo from last night's UFC show in Abu Dhabi. This fight is at Bantamweight. Vanessa is 0-2 in the UFC. So she needs a win. And she missed weight. Karol won her UFC debut. She is a teammate of Jessica Andrade at PRVT. Karol won fairly easily. Round two was probably a 10-8 as she dominated Vanessa with ground and pound. I guess I would have liked to see her get a finish. But Karol won by unanimous decision though the fight was not competitive. Obviously I would like to see Karol face better competition. And Vanessa will likely be released. Enjoy the video!
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Amanda Ribas vs Paige VanZant
Here's the match video of Amanda Ribas vs Paige VanZant from last night's UFC show in Abu Dhabi. This is Paige's final fight on her UFC contract. She was once a half decent fighter. But these days she is more celebrity than fighter. And she has been off for 18 months after suffering a broken arm in her last fight. She has had three surgeries and she said she is having a fourth. Amanda is a rising star in the Strawweight division. She wanted this fight to get on the main card of a PPV. I would prefer she concentrate on moving up the Strawweight division. But a win would get her more attention than if she was fighting on the prelims. The fight went as I expected as Amanda is an elite fighter. She took Paige down and got her in an armbar and that was that. Amanda said afterwards that she would like to fight the winner of Carla Esparza vs Marina Rodriguez which is coming up in a couple of weeks. She also said she wants to fight in two divisions as a tribute to Amanda Nunes. She may be able to do that. Paige is probably done with the UFC. If she can get healthy, I expect her to fight in Bellator as her husband fights there. But her arm has become a big problem. Enjoy the video.
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Rose Namajunas vs Jessica Andrade
Here's the match video of Rose Namajunas vs Jessica Andrade from last night's UFC show in Abu Dhabi. The winner of this fight probably gets a shot at Zhang Weili's UFC Strawweight Championship after Joanna Jedrzejczyk gets a rematch. I don't think any of them can beat Weili. Rose won this fight by split decision. But I think Jessica lost because of very poor coaching by Gilliard Parana. Instead of her usual aggression, Jessica comes out dancing in round one. I thought the round was close but I gave it to Rose 10-9. So did two of the judges and the third scored it 10-9 for Jessica. This continued in round two. I scored it 9-9. I didn't think either of them did enough. Of course judges don't score tie rounds. They all scored it 10-9 for Rose. Jessica finally got aggressive in round three. But she needed a finish but didn't get it. I scored round three 10-9 for Jessica. So I scored the fight a draw and the judges gave it to Rose by split decision. If Jessica had been more aggressive for the whole fight, she would have won. I think she gave the fight away through her lack of aggression in round one. I blame Parana for that. It's a big win for Rose but it doesn't make me think she can beat Zhang Weili. Enjoy the video!
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Trio of Oz
Song:Lost
Album:The Trio of Oz
Drummer Omar Hakim and his pianist wife Rachel Z started The Trio of Oz so they could tour together. Hakim is best known for his days with Weather Report in the 80s. Since then he has been an in demand session musician. Rachel has recorded as a leader and she was a member of Steps Ahead. Hakim was born Feb. 12, 1959 in New York City. His father played trombone and Hakim was a child when he played the drums in his dad's band. He joined Weather Report in 1982 and then he joined Dire Straits in 1985. His work on David Bowie's 1983 album Let's Dance led to his status as a top session musician. Rachel Nicolazzo was born Dec. 28, 1962 in New York City. She was a member of the late 80s band Steps Ahead. Steps Ahead leader Mike Mainieri suggested she change her name to Rachel Z. She played with Al DiMeola, Larry Coryell and especially smooth jazz sax player Najee. She first recorded as a leader in 1992. The two started The Trio of Oz in 2010 and they released the album on their own label. The bassist on the album is Maeve Royce but she was replaced by Solomon Dorsey and he is in the video. They record jazz covers of rock songs like Coldplay's Lost so they are similar to Soulive. Rachel is influenced by McCoy Tyner. The two also record and tour as The Omar Hakim Experience. And they released an EP and toured in 2019 as Ozmosys also featuring guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel. I think that is their main band right now. Meanwhile Hakim continues to be an active session musician. Here's The Trio of Oz performing Lost in Koln, Germany 2010.
Saturday, July 11, 2020
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Judy Torres
Song:Come Into My Arms
Album:Hits Anthology
Freestyle singer Judy Torres had brief success on the dance charts in the late 80s. the 1989 single Come Into My Arms was her biggest hit. She was born June 13, 1968 in The Bronx, NY. She was performing at a Gong Show when one of the judges George Vascones approached her about becoming her manager. He brought her to Micmac Records owner Mickey Garcia. And Garcia and Elvin Molina took Judy into the recording studio. Judy's first single No Reason To Cry did well enough on the dance charts to get her a deal with Profile Records. The album Love Story was released in 1989. Come Into My Arms was the first single. It reached #16 on the Billboard Dance chart. When there were no hit singles from her 1992 album My Soul, Profile dropped her. This comp covers her two Profile albums. These are the original versions. Since then Judy has released occasional singles some of which have done well on the dance charts. She also performs regularly in New York clubs. She also did a one woman show in 2018. Here's a video for Come Into My Arms by Judy Torres.
Friday, July 10, 2020
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jermaine Jackson
Song:Let's Get Serious
Album:Arista Heritage Collection
For the most part, it could be said that Jermaine Jackson's considerable talent was overshadowed by his brother Michael Jackson. But he did score two top ten pop hits including Let's Get Serious in 1979. He was born Dec. 11, 1954 in Gary, IN. When The Jackson 5 began, Jermaine was the lead singer until Michael took over in 1966. Of course this was all orchestrated by their father Joe Jackson. Jermaine played bass in The Jackson 5. He did sing on some songs like I Want You Back. He married Motown owner Berry Gordy's daughter Hazel Gordy in 1973. So when The Jackson 5 left Motown to become The Jacksons at Epic Records, Jermaine stayed at Motown. He already had a top ten pop hit with his 1972 cover of the doo wop classic Daddy's Home. But Motown didn't seem to do a very good job of promoting Jermaine until the 1979 single Let's Get Serious. It reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was produced by Stevie Wonder and Wonder wrote Let's Get Serious with frequent songwriting partner Lee Garrett. Jermaine returned to The Jacksons in 1983. And then he left Motown for Arista in 1985. His 1985 single with Pia Zadora When the Rain Begins to Fall was a big hit in Europe. After leaving Arista in 1989, Jermaine recorded for Laface. This budget comp mostly covers Jermaine's Arista recordings. But Let's Get Serious and Daddy's Home are on it. Jermaine Jackson last recorded an album in 2012. These days he seems to be involved in reality TV like Celebrity Wife Swap and the A&E series The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty. He reunited with his brothers for a couple of shows in 2016. Here's Jermaine Jackson performing Let's Get Serious on The Arsenio Hall Show 1989.
Thursday, July 09, 2020
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Laurenzi Ernst Green
Song:A Very Short Song
Album:Sightline
This Chicago jazz trio is commonly known as Twin Talk. This 2013 album Sightline was released before they took the band name. I guess they didn't know at the time that they would record more than one album as a unit. The band is Dustin Laurenzi on tenor sax, Katie Ernst on bass and vocals and Andrew Green on drums. They first got together in 2012 and released the 2013 album Sightline. You'll notice that the video is from the 2014 Chicago Jazz Festival. After they got positive reviews for that performance, they decided to call themselves Twin Talk which is a reference to cryptophasia which is supposed to be a language shared by twins. They released their first album as Twin Talk in 2015. Laurenzi toured with Justin "Bon Iver" Vernon in 2017. And Twin Talk opened for Vernon in Minneapolis. Vernon liked them so much that he invited them to record at his studio. And that resulted in the 2019 album Weaver which was released on Vernon's label. Recording studio time is very valuable to struggling musicians. It's unlikely Twin Talk would have recorded without Vernon's help. These albums are all available as digital downloads. But Sightline gets lost in the shuffle because it wasn't released under the Twin Talk name though it is the same band. Laurenzi has released a couple of solo albums. And he and Green were in trumpeter Paul Dietrich's band. And Katie appears on a new album by sax player Gerritt Hatcher. So all three are regulars on the Chicago jazz scene. Twin Talk has been more successful than expected. Here's Laurenzi Ernst Green AKA Twin Talk performing A Very Short Song at the 2014 Chicago Jazz Festival.
Wednesday, July 08, 2020
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Zach Williams
Song:There Was Jesus
Album:Rescue Story
Zach Williams started out as a Southern rocker. After becoming a Christian in 2012, he switched to CCM and has had success in that market with songs like There Was Jesus. He was born June 27, 1978 in Pensacola, FL but he grew up in Jonesboro, AR. He formed Zach Williams and the Reformation in 2007. The name was supposed to represent that they were going to revitalize Southern Rock. The band toured and released a couple of albums independently. Then Williams became a born again Christian. He disbanded Reformation and he joined the CCM group Brothers of Grace. They released an EP in 2014. Williams became the worship leader at Central Baptist Church in Jonesboro. He signed with Provident's Essential label in 2016. He has released two albums which have done well on the CCM charts. There Was Jesus is from Williams' 2019 album Rescue Story. Williams writes all his songs with producer Jonathan Smith who was a member of the CCM group Luna Halo and is the brother of dc Talk's Kevin Max. The third songwriter on There Was Jesus was Casey Beathard who has written hits for Kenny Chesney. When the song was finished, Williams knew he wanted to record it with Dolly Parton. And much to his surprise, she agreed to do it. They even performed it together on the 2019 CMA Awards broadcast. So it looks like Zach Williams has found his musical calling in CCM. Here's the video of There Was Jesus by Zach Williams featuring Dolly Parton.
Tuesday, July 07, 2020
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Asuka vs Bayley
Here's the match video of Asuka vs Bayley from last night's episode of RAW. Lately the WWE likes to do these champion vs champion matches. At the start of the match Nikki Cross comes out to do commentary. But she is thrown out by security when Bayley goads her into getting involved. Kairi is at ringside to keep an eye on Sasha. The match is even for the most part. What kills Bayley is her overconfident heel behavior. She can't do that with Asuka. And neither can Sasha. Bayley seems to have things under control. But she wastes too much time. And then Nikki shows up in the audience and starts banging on the plexiglass. This distracts Bayley enough for Asuka to go after the Asuka Lock. Sasha tries to interfere but Kairi spears her and Asika rolls Bayley up for the win. Next week Sasha and Bayley will defend the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships against the Kabuki Warriors. This will likely be Kairi's final WWE appearance and then Asuka will defend her RAW Women's Championship at Extreme Rules. Enjoy the video!
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Kairi Sane vs Sasha Banks
Here's the match video of Kairi Sane vs Sasha Banks from last night's episode of RAW. Asuka vs Bayley was later in the show. But Asuka brought Kairi out to confront Sasha and Bayley and this match was booked. Sasha gets the early advantage. But Kairi fires back and the match is even down the stretch. Kairi gets Sasha in her Anchor submission hold which usually sets up her Insane Elbow. But Bayley interferes and Kairi wins by DQ. Afterwards, Kairi hits both of them with her Insane Elbow. Next week the Kabuki Warriors will challenge Sasha and Bayley for the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships. I expect that to be Kairi's final WWE appearance. After she announced her marriage in Feb., I expected her to retire though I didn't know when. There have been rumors for months about Kairi leaving the WWE. But other than a retirement tour in Japan, she will retire and raise a family with her husband. I know that seems odd to fans outside Japan but she's not the first joshi wrestler to retire once she is married. Attitudes towards women in Japan are still very parochial. So there it's normal. Right now fans don't want to believe it but I can assure you Kairi is retiring. Enjoy the video!
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Los Straitjackets
Song:The Casbah
Album:Viva! Los Straightjackets
Los Straightjackets are an instrumental band in the tradition of The Ventures. The most interesting thing about them is they wear Mexican wrestling masks on stage. We call them lucha masks. They were called The Straightjackets when they first formed in 1988. Eddie Angel was a Nashville session guitarist most notably with Mashall Crenshaw. Danny Amis played guitar with the instrumental group The Raybeats. Drummer Jimmy Lester toured with Robert Gordon. They played a few gigs and split up. When Pulp Fiction led to a renewed interest in surf guitar rock, they reformed in 1994 as Los Straightjackets and wore the lucha masks on stage. Bassist Scott Esbeck was added. Amis is a Mexican wrestling fan. He bought the masks during a trip to Mexico. They wore them on stage as a whim and it caught on. It got them a record deal with the excellent indie label Yep Roc. The Casbah is from the 1996 album Viva! Los Straightjackets. It was their first album for Yep Roc and they still record for them. Esbeck was replaced by Pete Curry in 1998. In 2010 Amis was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. While undergoing treatment he was replaced by Greg Townson. Amis returned in 2012 but he would eventually leave in 2017. He lives in Mexico. Lester was replaced in 2005 by Jason Smay and he was replaced by Chris Sprague in 2012. Los Straightjackets were nominated for a Grammy in 2003 for the Eddy Clearwater album Rock 'n' Roll City. Their stage shows have become more elaborate with burlesque dancers The World Famous Pontani Sisters and guests like Clearwater and Kaiser George of The Kaisers. Los Straightjackets latest album What's So Funny About Peace Love And... is a tribute to Nick Lowe. They toured with him last year. Here's Los Straightjackets performing The Casbah and Calhoun Surf at Great American Music Hall in San Francisco from the 2005 DVD Los Straightjackets in Concert.
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